


The Mark of The Rose

by 10velysweetfantasy



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: ?? kinda ambiguous ending ?? maybe ??, M/M, Making Out, Seducer!Sicheng, Shy Boy!Ten, Unhappy Ending, Waiter!Ten, a lot of past and current mistakes, fluff and dancing, lies and betrayal, support kpop girls sooyoung jennie and krystal, tad bit of smut too, yeah there's angst as well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-28 00:16:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20054914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/10velysweetfantasy/pseuds/10velysweetfantasy
Summary: Sicheng seduces men and women alike for a living, but when he comes to Thailand on vacation and meets Ten, a shy Thai waiter, something begins to change. As Ten's smile blooms across his face like a flower, something lights up deep inside Sicheng.





	The Mark of The Rose

**Author's Note:**

> loosely inspired by the mv of [senorita](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pkh8UtuejGw) by shawn mendes
> 
> this is the [playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/ryls2001/playlist/5q1f1VdIPtMl7tuR65HFaX?si=FqHGRYZrQBaJtW_yGp9WAA) if you want to listen to it while you read

Miss Kaleia Avila of the Philippines.

Mister Yoonoh Jung of Korea. 

Miss Kai Zhao of China.

Mister Jackson Wang of Hong Kong.

Dong Sicheng had a long history of lovers and he was not afraid to flaunt it, wear it on his cheek and in his smile. He hid nothing but everything as well. Maybe this was part of his charm, part of the reason that he never had a problem getting whatever and whoever he wanted. It was disconcerting to say the least, that someone who made it blatantly clear that he wasn’t going to stick around for long had men and women alike falling at his feet.    
  


Some men with this long held habit eventually grew a guilty conscience, but Sicheng was not one of them, and simply refused to become one of them. He had no problem with the “lovin’ them and leaving them” life style. For him, it was simply easier, especially in his line of work. 

For him, and his friends, this was not only their life but their hobby. They wouldn’t trade this in for anything else in the world. 

*

Sicheng wasn’t often the judgmental type, but when Krystal pulled the car to a stop in front of what could only be described as a rustic diner, he took pause. A good portion of them had been whining of hunger ever since they had stepped foot off the plane and Krystal, as the good leader she was, had promised food on the way to the hotel.

Before Sicheng could voice his thoughts, the brattiest of them all, Jungwoo hurried to do so. “A diner? Nothing fancier?”

Krsytal’s face was stone as she turned to face the crammed backseat of the Mustang. Between cases and the two bodies that had been shoved back there, Sicheng found himself relieved that Krystal had offered him shotgun. Jungwoo’s arm was slung around Taeil, who looked half asleep for the most part and less offended than the younger at the establishment they had ended up at. 

“A little grease won’t hurt you, Jungwoo.” Krsytal spoke firmly, jerking the key out of the ignition much harder than needed. She peered in her side view mirror and her muscles seemed to uncoil slightly as the black BMW that had been tailing them pulled up in the parking spot right beside theirs. “The whole crew is here now. Let’s get some food, yeah?”

Sicheng ignored Jungwoo and Taeil’s garbled responses, sliding out of the car and stretching his arms over his head. Rolling out of the BMW, looking bored for the most part came the Kim twins and Sooyoung. Despite having stepped off a plane a mere hour earlier, Sooyoung looked every bit a goddess, as she was often praised for looking akin to. 

“Quaint,” Jennie muttered as she appraised the diner, though she didn’t look too bothered by the turn of events. Between her and her brother, she was the easy going one; Sicheng didn’t like to say or think it too loudly, but Doyoung was just a bit high maintenance. That wasn’t something he was about to concern himself with though, Doyoung and Jungwoo could bitch among themselves all they wanted, Sicheng was much too hungry to actually care where he was eating.

Krystal hooked her arm with Sicheng’s, and the two of them lead the others into the diner. The first thing Sicheng took note of was perhaps the fact that the entire restaurant was bathed in hues of pale pastels, but particularly baby blue and blush pink. From the interior design, to the uniforms, it became very clear that the pastels were their signature colors. Despite it not being what the group was used to, the diner was rather cute and homey, making Sicheng feel almost instantly welcomed. 

The sign resting on the podium in front of the seating instructed for customers to wait until a server came and seated them. Sicheng shrugged but caught Sooyoung’s arm in time to stop her from strolling into the dining area, prompting an irritated glance from her but nothing more. They didn’t wait more than five minutes until a blonde haired girl with a cheery, albeit tired, smile approached them. Her pink uniform was crumpled and creased, but she didn’t seem to notice, sliding her notebook into her pocket to grab for menus.

“Hello,” she chirped, the tone seeming a little more forced than it was supposed to come off. “Welcome to Love A Little, how many people are in your party today?”

Sicheng peered at her name tag, deciding to take lead on this one, considering the rest of the group suddenly became mute. “Hi, Yerim. We’re peachy. There’s seven of us, I hope that’s okay.” 

Snickers came from behind Sicheng and he had absolutely no doubt that it was coming from Jennie and Doyoung, both painfully aware of just how impolite Sicheng could normally be. Yerim peered at all of them, something in her gaze suggesting that she was just a bit bewildered, but she merely nodded, collecting more menus before leading them to a lengthier table towards the back.

“Is this okay?” She asked, her tone soft, and Sicheng didn’t miss the way she directed it towards him rather than anyone else in his, admittedly, intimidating group.

“Nope,” Jungwoo interjected before Sicheng could, his Thai clean and nearly absent of any accent. “Thanks, doll.”

Yerim blinked several times then sent an embarrassed look towards another waitress. The waitress had been slumped against the bar of the diner, but had straightened up at the conversation that had drifted to her ears. Her brow was furrowed, a crease forming between the two eyebrows. Sicheng smirked, familiar enough with love to understand the situation.

“We’ll need a moment to look over your menu, if that’s alright,” Krystal finally spoke up and as usual, she sounded somewhere between bored and displeased. Yerim flushed the same shade as her uniform and nodded quickly, dropping the menus onto the table.

“If you need me, just call me over okay? Otherwise, I’ll be over shortly to take your drink orders.”

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Yerim was darting away, directly towards the girl at the counter. Sicheng rolled his eyes but refrained from mocking the girls any further, falling into the seat beside Jungwoo as Krystal sat across from him. Per usual, Jennie and Doyoung chose to sit beside one another, dark heads bowing together as they began to peer over the menu together. 

“Are we just not going to address how insanely ironic the name of this diner is?” Taeil pointed out once everyone had gotten situated.

Sooyoung let out a musical giggle, tossing her mane of dark hair over her shoulder. It was hard not to notice the several glances directed towards her, but it was something they had all become acquainted with. “It is a tad bit funny,” she agreed and Jungwoo nodded eagerly as well. Taeil seemed pleased that at least someone shared his sentiment, but it certainly wasn’t Krystal or Sicheng, as they exchanged looks. To them, what they did was far from amusing, but if the others wanted to take it lightly then it was truly up to them and neither of them could fault the group for it.

“American style food,” Krystal noted after a brief glance at her own menu. It was hard to tell if she was disappointed by this turn of events, but she didn’t add onto her bleak statement, continuing to read the menu thoroughly. 

Sicheng stretched his legs beneath the table, carefully avoiding either Krystal or Sooyoung’s legs, knowing damn well that if he kicked either of them it would end particularly poorly. He didn’t really bother looking through his menu, finding it was much more entertaining to observe the patrons of the diner, to take a peek into stranger’s stories. It was an insatiable curiosity he had; how others live, how did they react to particular events. 

He had been concentrating on a small family of four, the mom scolding her two kids seemingly, when he noticed the waiter. 

The waiter was a little slighter than any of the other male servers that Sicheng had seen pass by so far, but it didn’t take away from his beauty, if anything it added to it. He was both delicate and sharp at once, black strands of hair falling across his forehead, a smile directed at a customer. The smile wasn’t like Yerim’s, while Yerim had been genuine, she had been lacking a certain spark that apparently this waiter did possess. His feline eyes flitted over the diner, probably looking for any customers in need, and when those eyes landed on Sicheng, he jumped and shuffled over to a fellow waiter, clinging to his side with practiced ease. 

“Sicheng.”

Sicheng drew his eyes away from the young waiter, bringing his attention back to his friends, to his  _ family _ .

“Yes?” He questioned, eyes darting between them all, a little lost at why they were all staring at him expectantly.

“Shanghai,” Doyoung supplied helpfully, though it didn’t really lessen Sicheng’s confusion. After another beat of silence, the older sighed and added on, “When do you want to return to Shanghai, Sicheng?”

Sicheng blinked, momentarily taken off guard. He wasn’t even aware that this had become an option for them, believing that they were many months and a few heirs off from returning to their home base. Apparently not, if this was a conversation at all. 

“I’m happy wherever, you know that,” he finally settled on adding to the apparent debate on when they would return home. He could feel Krsytal’s eyes on him, weighing heavy, but he knew that whatever it was she was thinking could wait until they arrived at the hotel and finally settled in for their short vacation. For now, all he truly wanted was to eat and enjoy this moment of peace, for however long it would last. 

Yerim appeared not but a moment later, cheeks still stained a faint shade of pink but her friendly smile having made a reappearance. “Alright, did you guys decide what you wanted to drink? And will you need a little longer to look over the menu before your food orders?”

Krystal took the reigns again by leaning in to speak to the waitress, babbling out orders left and right. Apparently, both their drink  _ and  _ food orders had already been decided for them by their so gracious leader. Sicheng could hardly complain; at that point he was so hungry he’d eat whatever was given him then happily make his way to his hotel room to crash for promptly 14 hours. 

“I kind of miss Hong Kong,” Taeil quietly spoke up once the waitress had run off to grab their drinks. “It was so pretty. Sicheng, you really couldn’t have held out any longer?”

Sicheng shot the older an unimpressed glare. “No. But you can always go back yourself and seduce that Wong Yukhei kid, you know.”

Taeil pulled a face. “He’s really pretty… but he’s not really my type.”

Sicheng almost slammed his head against the table at the longing look Taeil shot Jungwoo’s direction, who was much too involved in a conversation with Sooyoung to properly notice such a thing. Sicheng muttered a small “pathetic” beneath his breath, but added nothing else on the topic, knowing better than to push Taeil on the matter. 

Instead, he turned his attention back to Krystal and asked, “How’s Victoria?”

“She’s great,” Krystal replied noncommittally, eyes scanning the length of the diner, taking in the patrons and employees. 

“That’s it?” Sicheng tried hard not to be amused, but there was something about the way that Krystal hardly let any of them peek into her personal life that was awfully funny when their job required them to invade others' privacy. Matters of the heart though, in their particular group, was something that was a tad bit of a touchy subject. Sicheng didn’t mind, though, because he knew if anyone tried to question him on his feelings he’d be more than a little annoyed.

Krystal’s eyes slid over to Sicheng, flat. “Yes. That’s all.”

Sicheng bit his lip to contain the laughter bubbling up his throat, but before he could make fun of arguably his best friend in the world, a drink was being set in front of him. He looked up, opening his mouth to thank Yerim, but was taken aback by the fact that the person standing at the end of the table was very much not Yerim. 

He was the same waiter that Sicheng had been gazing at not too long ago. 

The waiter blinked at Sicheng, obviously confused by the fact that Sicheng was just staring at him with his mouth open, gawking at the poor boy. Sicheng tore his eyes away from his face long enough to peer at his name tag and read the name “Ten”. He snorted to himself quietly as Ten continued to distribute drinks; of course only such a pretty boy could pull off such an odd name. He wasn’t dim though, he knew exactly how names were in Thailand. He figured the waiter’s real name was not only a mouthful for himself but everyone else who tried to use it.

When Ten finished, gave a small bow, and turned to hurry back to behind the counter where two teenagers looked like they began to engage in a bickering match, Sicheng couldn’t help but watch him go. 

Sooyoung let out a drawn out sigh, a pout forming on her lips. “Wow,” she said on another sigh. “Everyone here is so pretty, don’t you think?”

“Are you fishing for compliments?” Jennie shot Sooyoung an incredulous look that gave off the air that she was wholesomely unimpressed. “Because you’re pretty too, Sooyoung. Just not as pretty as that waiter, and that’s just how life is sometimes.”

In sync, Doyoung and Sooyoung smacked Jennie’s arms, but she hardly seemed bothered as she reached for her drink, giving a small shrug. For what it was worth, Jennie always owned her actions and words, and it was something that Sicheng greatly appreciated. For all the lying they did in their line of work, Jennie was always truthful with them, never purposefully deceitful. 

Sicheng wished that he could be like her.

Despite the occasional bickering or snide remarks, the rest of the meal went by well, and by the end of it they were all stuffed and content. Krystal, as expected, picked up the bill with the other’s half hearted protests providing background noise. Once they had stood, Jungwoo grabbed onto Sicheng’s arm, pulling him tight against the taller. Sicheng made a face, but didn’t exactly fight it, finding that he was becoming more and more comfortable with Jungwoo’s sudden embraces with each day that passed by. 

“You thought that waiter boy was pretty, didn’t you?” Jungwoo trilled teasingly into Sicheng’s ear. Sicheng let out a loud scoff and shoved the youngest of their group away from him, sending a withering glare in his direction as he did so. He wouldn’t give Jungwoo even an inch because then he would turn it into a mile.

“Si,” Krystal called out, eyes darting between both the summoned and Jungwoo. “Come up front by me again. We should talk when we get back to the hotel.”

The group let out a bout of “ooohs” as if Sicheng was a child in middle school that had just been called to the office. He couldn’t fault them for finding it amusing that Krystal worded it that way, so he let it be, merely sliding into the passenger seat with much more grace than he was feeling in the moment. 

From within the diner, Ten peered out the window at the group of young adults. When they had first entered, he had been a little taken aback by just how many pretty people there was in one place. He was sure that Saeron and Yerim would claim that all the wait staff at Love A Little was a collection of rather attractive people too, but there was something different about those customers. Especially the taller one with the dark hair and a slight accent to his words, an accent that Ten begrudgingly admitted was kinda cute. 

“Stop being such a fucking stalker, Ten ge,” Yangyang slipped into Chinese easily as he came to stand by Ten’s side. Ten didn’t spare him a glance as he slapped a hand at the younger’s arm, eyes focused on the dark haired man slouched in his seat while the rest of his group seemingly began to argue about car arrangements. 

“Ten, I swear to God,” Kun huffed from behind Ten and Yangyang. “If you don’t get back to work right now, I will give all your tips from tonight to Donghyuck.” Donghyuck, passing by with a plate of dishes that needed to be washed, let out a small cheer. Ten shot him a look that communicated that once their shifts were over, they’d be meeting in the parking lot. Donghyuck remained completely unphased, letting out a small giggle, before continuing with his waiter duties. 

Ten wanted nothing more than to remain rooted to his spot, to continue watching the man that had enraptured his attention, but he needed to return to work. All he could really do at that point was hope that the man might return, that their paths might cross once again. 

*

Sicheng was well acquainted with parties. He had to be, considering how often he attended them, but it didn’t necessarily mean that he had grown a fondness for them over time. In fact, he figured that he had begun to despise them just a little bit more due to the amount of events he constantly had to appear at. But a small street party brushed into corners and alleys of the street of Thailand was something he could potentially get used to.

It was their second night in Thailand, and the sunset had painted the world in hues of oranges and pinks, including his friends as they glided along the streets in the direction of a booming bass line of an unfamiliar song. Jungwoo had his hand around Sicheng’s wrist firmly, a valiant attempt in avoiding losing each other. Sicheng wanted to be grateful for it, but mostly he was amused by the fact that Jungwoo seemed to think that he would wander off and get lost.

Sooyoung’s oil slick hair seemingly glittered beneath the street lights, star dust and moonlight poured over the dark locks, her arm slipped around Jennie’s waist. For once, instead of wearing their best finery, they were dressed down in their own choice of party wear, their individuality shining through their outfits. 

At the end of the street, where buildings finally met, creating a road block and leaving only alleyways as a form of run off, was where the heart of the party was. Men and women of all ethnicities, ages, and dress populated the small but lively area, their bodies moving to the beat and their laughter filling the hollowed out space. Sicheng blinked a few times, the fairy lights hanging from the high rising walls providing a soft glow upon all the inhabitants, but also casting shadows into the farthest corners.

“Sicheng!” Taeil exclaimed, and the older boy looked genuinely excited, smile dripping with laughter and delight. “Come dance with Jungwoo and I!”

Sicheng wasn’t given much of a decision after that point, Taeil taking hold of the wrist that Jungwoo hadn’t claimed, and the two of them dragging him into the very center of the writhing and slithering bodies. Sicheng pressed his lips together, yanking his two friends as close as possible in order to block any strangers from potentially touching him or attempting to dance with him. 

For a few minutes at least, he gave a fair chance at dancing with his lively friends. Halfway through the second song, Sooyoung had joined them, her red lips spread into a devious grin and one of her hand’s gripping a sparkling drink. She used her free hand to grip to Sicheng’s shirt, her giggles filling his ear, more musical than the beat he had allowed to take over his body. He managed to last a couple more songs before he was untangling himself from his friends, muttering a half baked excuse about going to get a drink.

He slid to the sidelines, back pressing against the wall to observe party goers, instead. He enjoyed dancing immensely, but not in a setting like this. It wasn’t something he had grown up doing; he had grown up lying and stealing and thieving, he had never gotten the chance to party like an overgrown college student. His heart panged, sympathizing with the fact that maybe this was Jungwoo’s sole chance to do so. 

Sicheng let out a weighted sigh, considering wandering for awhile, taking a look through stores. His thoughts halted when he noticed the man sitting in one of the few corners with a bit of light blessing it, a guitar in his hands as he strummed it thoughtlessly. The first familiar face he recognized out of the group surrounding him was Yerim. She was leaning against the girl from the diner, their faces tilted together, and Yerim’s face was shining, shimmering. 

Next, he noticed Ten.

Ten stood directly next to the guitar player, but rather than merely listening like his friends, his entire body had succumbed to the music. It was nearly impossible to divulge if he was dancing to the guitar music or the thumping noises of the speakers, but either way, it was easy to tell he was experienced and confident. His hips moved with ease and his smile was bright, almost inviting others to join him.

And maybe it wasn’t meant for him, or perhaps wasn’t even an invite to begin with, but Sicheng found his feet moving, joining the group in the corner. He didn’t bother speaking to any of the people standing around him, he simply didn’t care enough to greet them, his focus zeroed in on Ten. 

When their eyes finally met, synapses beneath Sicheng’s skin began to fire at an alarming rate, setting his body on fire in ways he never knew were possible.

Ten had frozen, body momentarily losing it’s will to move, his eyes round and his mouth open just slightly. Yerim and a man that Sicheng hadn’t recalled taking notice of at the diner, peered between the two clearly confused. With a glance over his shoulder, Sicheng confirmed the fact that all of his friends were preoccupied, and with nothing in his way, there was no reason for him to not reach out and grab Ten’s hand. 

“Dance with me, please?” Sicheng inquired, voice coming out softer than he had initially planned. “I think you might be able to teach me a thing or two.” 

For a moment, Sicheng thought Ten was going to say no due to the fact that his entire body had become tense and his eyes had locked on something pass Sicheng’s shoulder. But then, as if it was divine intervention itself, Ten’s face bloomed into an iridescent smile. Sicheng returned the smile, allowing Ten to guide them to the center of moving bodies once more. With Ten, it was different; Sicheng had no lingering concerns of bumping into strangers, instead he was more concerned about bringing Ten as tight as possible against him.

The smaller boy had a dusting of pink across his cheekbones, avoiding Sicheng’s eyes. If Sicheng didn’t know better, he would have assumed that Ten was being coy, but coupled with the waiter scurrying off in the diner and the hesitance in accepting Sicheng’s offer, he could only assume that Ten was  _ shy _ . Which, of course, only made him even more adorable.

“Do you like to dance?” Sicheng inquired, bowing his head to peer directly into Ten’s eyes. Ten bit his lip, contemplating, then nodded, a small smile forming on his lips. It wasn’t the same as the one that had claimed his entire face, that had lit up his eyes, but Sicheng would take what he could get.

Ten’s fingers curled and uncurled in Sicheng’s shirt before he asked, “Are… you visiting?”

Sicheng wanted to laugh at the implication that he had the freedom to just merely visit beautiful countries whenever he pleased, because that’s what the intonation of Ten’s voice betrayed. He thought that Sicheng was one of the those philandering play boys that fucked their money away on whatever he wanted; the kind of men that Sicheng stole from. 

“I’m on vacation with a few friends,” he ventured, allowing himself to get to as close to the truth as he could without revealing anything devastating. Ten nodded slowly, understanding forming on his face. 

The music shifted into something more intense, more sensual, and Sicheng took the opportunity to pull Ten closer, their hips meeting. Ten was quite a few inches shorter than Sicheng, but it didn’t exactly deter him from gliding their hips together in a much more eloquent form of grinding. Ten’s fists were still curled tight against the hem of Sicheng’s shirt, and Sicheng reached down, hoping to untangle them. Before he could manage to do so, something flashed across Ten’s eyes and then he jolted away from the younger. 

His face was open and almost guilty as he said, “I’m sorry, I have to go.”

Sicheng remained standing among strangers, unaware of the amount of bodies pressing against his as he watched Ten run off. Where Ten’s hands had previously been holding onto, heat lingered, and Sicheng ran a hand through his hair, a small smile forming.

It was something at least; much further than he had gotten on the second night with most.

*

“Sicheng.”   
  


Sicheng rolled onto his stomach, head resting on the inner crook of his elbow as he peered up at Krystal. She stood at the end of his bed, peering down at him, her eyebrows furrowed and a murky mix of emotions lingering in her gaze. No one was around to witness it, the act of Krystal allowing her walls to fall just slightly, just enough to give Sicheng a peek into her mind.

“Krys? Everything okay?” His voice was much gentler than he would use in most situations. If it had been anyone else, he wasn’t sure he would manage to come off that gentle, but with Krystal it was easy. Because everything with her was easy, that was just how it was between them. 

She stared at him a moment longer, then nodded, confirming a silent decision with herself. “Move over,” she ordered quietly, but the usual steel that held her tone firm was lacking. Nonetheless, Sicheng moved over on his bed, sitting up as he realized this was going to be a serious conversation.

As soon as they had gotten back from the party, the others had disappeared into Jennie and Sooyoung’s room to keep the party going a little longer. Krystal had decided to tap out, as well as Sicheng, and hid away in their room together. Krystal had yet to change out of her party clothes, the silken red fabric pooling around her legs and in her lap as she curled up beside Sicheng.

It was moments like this that Sicheng remembered what was better left forgotten: Krystal and Sicheng had no one, and then they had each other, but it didn’t make them any less scared. Life was scary, the world they lived in was even scarier, and because of what they had created for themselves they often pretended this wasn’t a fact they lived with. But when it was the two of them alone like this, it was easy to drop the facade, to fall into one another’s comfort and remember that they had each other and that was it.

Sicheng waited. It was best to wait when it came to Krystal. If you pushed her too hard, she would shut down completely or simply fall apart and neither were a particularly desirable situation. Instead, he held his hand out for her, a simple offering of peace and comfort. She stared at his open palm for a long moment before slipping her smaller hand into his. Her other hand slid over, across the sensitive skin of his forearm, until her fingers found the tattoo on his bicep.

The rose was beautifully designed, a swirling masterpiece of ink that formed into a delicate rose, the stem full of thorns. Her fingers traced over the dark lines, her eyes equally as dark as they drank in the tattoo. He watched her carefully, wondering what went through her mind every time she caught sight of one of their tattoos. It wasn’t just Sicheng; it was every single one of them that had hidden a rose tattoo away, a tattoo that solidified their status as a group.

The Seven Deadly Roses, Doyoung had called them jokingly after one too many drinks one night. Sicheng hadn’t said it at the time, but he couldn’t really think of a better name to describe them, especially considering what they did, how they lived it. 

Finally, after Krystal had gone over the tattoo several times with her eyes and fingers, she asked, “Winnie, do you ever regret it?”   
  


He wished he could say he wasn’t surprised by the fact that she had used his teenage nickname, derived from the street name Winwin. He didn’t easily give out his real name when he lived on the streets, doing what he had to in order to get by. Krystal had been his first street friend he had entrusted with his birth name and it was not something she had taken lightly. 

“Regret what…?” He was tentative, uncertain, even on edge at the fact that for once he couldn’t read his best friend as easily as he wanted. 

“All of it,” she whispered into the hotel room, fingers flexing against Sicheng’s hand, holding him tighter like a lifeline. “Joining me to steal from the rich. Involving the others.” She paused before hesitantly adding, “Leaving Yuta.”

Sicheng bristled at the name, shocked to hear it after living his life without it for almost an entire year. “No,” he spit out harsher than he intended to. “No. I don’t regret any of it. Krystal, you’re my family. You and the others. I’m happy with my life, I’m happy with where we are now.” He paused, staring at her. “But do you? Do you regret it?”   
  


Krystal stared into the darkest corner of the room. “No,” she finally said, voice wavering. “This is it for me, Winnie. You and the kids and Vic. You’re it for me, got it? So don’t… don’t ever regret me, please. I can’t do this without you.” 

Sicheng slid his arms around Krystal before he could stop himself, holding her loose pieces together as she had done several times for him before. “I won’t,” he promised. “Never.”

And he knew it was true. He would never choose anyone over his family of liars and sinners.

*

Thailand’s beaches, for lack of a better word, were simply breathtaking. Sicheng, who wasn’t even necessarily a beach person, could even admire its beauty. Jennie had curled around his side like a snake, despite the heat, and was cooing in his ear over just how nice the sand and the ocean looked. After a moment longer, they separated in order to lay out their towels and set up for their beach day.

It was only him, Jennie, and Sooyoung, since the others decided that they would prefer to stay at the hotel or wander through the shops. Anywhere, really, that had air conditioning and no sand that would get into undesirable places. Sicheng had briefly considered joining them, but then Sooyoung had flashed him puppy dog eyes and he knew that he didn’t really have any other choice than to give into the girls.

Sprawled out gracefully on the towel, Sooyoung shook her hair out as she slid off her cover up, revealing the bright red bikini she wore beneath. Her inky hair contrasted sharply with the bright color, but both complimented her tanned skin greatly. Sicheng tilted his head, inspecting the rose that peeked out from beneath her waistband, just on her hip. He knew that Jennie had chosen to put her’s in the exact same place and had even asked Krystal to join them, but the leader had already had other plans for her tattoo.

Sicheng broke out of his brief reverie as Jennie slid over him, thighs on either side of his hips as she peeked down at him with dark, imploring eyes. Some might have found the act of Jennie straddling him sexual, but that would only be because they didn’t know. They simply didn’t know that Jennie only had eyes for one person, one person she hadn’t been able to see for months and months.

“Chengie,” she whispered into the ocean breeze, eyebrows knitting together. “You’ve been really quiet recently. I mean… quieter than usual. Are you… okay?”

Sicheng tilted his head, blinking at the sudden inquiry. Jennie was brighter and more optimistic than her brother, but only just by a nanometer. She was supportive, but quiet, and she wasn’t the type to be invasive, allowing others to come to her if they needed something. It was just a bit out of character for her to be asking questions like this, but it solidified the fact the group had noticed something was off with him. He only hoped that they hadn’t caught onto Krystal’s sudden bout of dark thoughts, as well. 

“I’m… alright,” he muttered, his voice a promise in itself.

Jennie pressed her lips together, index finger reaching out to trail over his nose, an affectionate gesture he caught her doing to Doyoung often. “Is it about Yuta? Do you miss him? I know that when you left you said it was okay, but I  _ know _ . Yuta is to you what Jaehyun is to Doyoung and what Rosie is to me. It’s not so easy to leave a piece of your heart behind, Sicheng.”

These were the same words she had told him in the airport before they left Japan, and just as they did then, it soothed his heart to hear. To know that he wasn’t the only person in their group that had to let go of someone for the sake of their job. 

“No, it’s not about him,” Sicheng replied honestly, his hand coming up to curl his fingers around her wrist, to feel her pulse thrum naturally beneath his fingertips. “Do you remember the waiter from that diner? The one with the dark hair and pretty smile?”

Sooyoung had tuned in at this point, flopped onto her side to peer at them with her chin resting in her hand. “Of course,” she interjected, flipping her hair over one shoulder. “You kept staring at him, so it was awfully hard to ignore him.”

Sicheng didn’t blush, but if he did, he figured his cheeks would be bright pink in that moment.

“Okay, so, what about him?” Jennie pressed on, her fingers having dipped to his collarbones, fingers digging into the divots and curves of his skin and muscle. “Did he do something to you?” Her voice was edged with darkness and danger when she asked, not something you would expect when looking at her gentle features. 

“I like him,” he answered simply. “I would like to spend my time here with him.”

Jennie’s back straightened and she tilted her head, eyes boring a hole into him. “Sicheng…” her voice was soft but the disbelief, the disdain, was pretty clear in her expression. “What the hell are you doing here at the beach with us then? Shouldn’t you go back to the diner and ask him out?”

Sicheng’s lips curved into an amused smile. “Later,” he said, nudging Jennie off of him to sit up properly. “For now, I’d really like to go into the ocean with two of my favorite people.” 

*

Sicheng arrived at the diner much later than he had originally anticipated but he’d been having too much fun with Sooyoung and Jennie to notice the time going by, and in result, as the sun began to set, they urged him to leave. He had decided on walking to the diner, if only to take a good look at the sights, but also to grab a rose. If he was going to ask out Ten, he was going to be a gentleman about it. Even if his hair was still dripping with salt water and his light shirt clung to him indecently; the rose would make up for it, probably.

The man that Ten had been with at the party was wiping down the counter when Sicheng arrived, and if anything, looked just a bit startled that Sicheng was there. Now that they were in closer proximity, Sicheng could read his name tag, “Kun”. 

Kun stopped wiping and stood up straighter. “Did you want a table? We’re closing shortly but… I’m sure we could whip something up for you.”

Sicheng offered the other what he hoped was a placating smile. “No that’s alright, I’m not an asshole like that. I know how badly you must want to head home. I’m just looking for Ten. Is he still here?”

“Um,” Kun said, though he seemed pretty shocked. “Yeah. He’s here… he just uh headed to the back to help Donghyuck with something. I’ll… go get him for you. Wait here.”

Sicheng nodded, although he truly had no intention to run off anywhere. He kept it to himself, but he also thought it wasn’t exactly wise for Kun to leave the front unattended at this time of night. Sicheng was a much better person than others attributed him to being, though, and had no intention of stealing or letting anyone else do so. He truly only had to wait a few minutes until Ten was shuffling out of the back room, eyeing Sicheng wearily. Sicheng couldn’t help but notice the way his eyes lingered on Sicheng’s damp T-shirt and hair. 

“Hi…? Kun said that you were looking for me ...?” He inquired quite hesitantly, hands running over his apron over and over. Sicheng tilted his head, observing the action before taking a step forward and gently taking one of his hands with his own that wasn’t holding the rose.

“Ten,” Sicheng began softly, ducking his head so he could look directly into the shorter male’s eyes. “I came looking for you because I haven’t been able to get you of my head since the moment I saw you. And I was hoping that you’d allow me to take you out for a date.” 

Ten peered up at Sicheng, eyebrows raised in the slightest, conveying confusion and curiosity. Sicheng bit his lip to contain a few chuckles from escaping; Ten had a very expressive face and it was rather difficult not to find it endearing. 

“You… want to go out… with  _ me _ ?” Ten reaffirmed, pointing at Sicheng and then himself. Sicheng nodded, offering the rose to the older. A splash of pink slowly spread over Ten’s cheeks as he accepted the rose, a small smile forming. “I get off early tomorrow night. Pick me up then and I can show you around…?”

Sicheng grinned. “That’s perfect.”

The very next night, Sicheng plopped down on the bench that resided right outside the diner. His tongue swirled around the sucker in his mouth as he eyed passersby, waiting for Ten to exit the diner and join him. He had decided to get advice from Sooyoung and Jungwoo on what to wear, and he wasn’t disappointed in what they had whipped up for him: a fitted black t-shirt and ripped jeans that had some holes just a little farther up on his legs than he had been expecting. 

“Hey.”

Sicheng looked up and let out a soft woosh of air at the sight of Ten. The Thai boy’s hair fell across his forehead and a shy smile played at his lips, but Sicheng couldn’t help but gape at the button up shirt he wore, most the buttons undone, along with the tight black jeans he donned as well. From what he had gathered so far, Ten wasn’t the boldest, and he genuinely hadn’t expected Ten to show up in something like that.

Sicheng pulled the sucker from his mouth and offered it to Ten, causing a blush to form once again. “Hey, you ready to go?” he asked, taking general pleasure out of the way Ten watched his mouth move. He wasn’t self centered in any form whatsoever, but in order to do what he did, he had to be good looking. It wasn’t like he didn’t know the red sucker had tinted his lips a soft red, had plumpened them just slightly from sucking at the hard candy.

Ten hesitantly took the sucker, rested it in his own mouth, offering a small nod. Sicheng grinned, taking Ten’s hand to guide him over to the Mustang that was a shockingly similar color to the sucker that was now tucked away safely in Ten’s mouth. Ten’s eyes widened, taking in the tan and white leather interior of car. 

“Where are we going?” He blurted out around the candy in his mouth.

Sicheng reached up to run a hand over the back of Ten’s head then moved his hand smoothly to tug gently on the stick of the sucker. “Don’t talk with that thing in your mouth,” he ordered, thumb brushing against Ten’s bottom lip. “I can’t understand you well, and besides, you could choke.”

Ten emptied his mouth of all sucker then repeated himself. Sicheng grinned, pleased, and opened the passenger side door for Ten, gesturing for him to get in. Ten sent Sicheng what one would initially believe to be an irritated glance, but Sicheng could decipher as more perplexed than anything else.

“We’ll go for a ride then decide from there,” Sicheng explained as he shut the door. Ten nodded, returning the sucker to his mouth and Sicheng chuckled, running a hand through his hair as he slid into his own seat.

The rest of the night passed in a flash. Sicheng discovered that once he got Ten alone, the older boy bloomed, full of smiles and laughter away from the eyes of the public. Most of the time, they spent talking, rambling about whatever came to their minds. Ten was more than happy to point out special sights and offer detailed stories about them, and Sicheng was more than happy to just listen to him talk.

It was when they had ended up in the parking lot of a beach, sitting in the backseat, that Ten announced they would need to head back soon because he had an early shift the next day. When he informed Sicheng, he gazed at him with such hesitance, as if expecting Sicheng to be upset. Sicheng merely tilted Ten’s head up by pressing a firm finger to his chin and brought his lips down. 

The kiss tasted of sugar and nostalgia, Sicheng’s tongue continuing to search Ten’s mouth in an attempt to taste every part of it. Ten’s hands found purchase in Sicheng’s shirt, just like they had on the night they had danced together. Sicheng slid his hands down to Ten’s hips, pulling the smaller boy into his lap easily. Ten let out a small whimper into Sicheng’s mouth as the younger pulled back, teeth gently pulling at Ten’s bottom lip.

“Time to get you home,” Sicheng muttered into the moonlight.

Ten looked at Sicheng with eyes that promised a holy redemption. Sicheng’s heart clenched as Ten’s hands found Sicheng’s face, cupped his cheeks with care. “Okay,” he said, and to Sicheng, it sounded a little too much like a promise for his comfort. 

From then on, meeting with Ten and going out together became the new normal for Sicheng. It was on Saturday night that they met behind the diner, Ten practically leaping at Sicheng, legs sliding around the Chinese boy’s waist with utter ease. Sicheng’s hands rested easily on Ten’s ass, to prevent him from falling, and pressed a feather light kiss to Ten’s nose.

“Hey, baby,” Sicheng greeted him as Ten turned to nuzzle his face into his neck. “What do you want to do tonight?”

Ten dropped back to the ground, taking Sicheng’s hand, before hesitantly offering, “I was hoping we could go to the markets and I could show you my favorite spots.”

Due to the amount of time they had spent together so far, Ten was beginning to shed his shy persona around Sicheng, but sometimes it still lingered like a shadow he couldn’t shake. Sicheng squeezed Ten’s hand reassuringly and nodded, gesturing for Ten to lead the way. He didn’t have either of the cars that night, but it was okay because that meant he could hold Ten close as they ambled their way down the streets, drawing closer to the streets full of vendors and small stands.

The moment they arrived, Ten’s face transformed into a near angelic beam, tugging Sicheng towards a vendor with food. Before Sicheng could protest, Ten was handing over money and making an order in rapid Thai, too quick and slurred together for Sicheng to decipher. His Thai was well off, but sometimes when Ten got over excited it was a bit hard to understand what was being said. After they had received their food, Ten lead them down the middle of the street, pointing to different stands he liked and disliked. 

At a corner, Sicheng pulled on Ten, spinning him so the smaller was pressed against the brick wall. Ten gazed up at Sicheng beneath his lashes, and Sicheng grinned, pressing a quick kiss to Ten’s very inviting lips. He placed his hands on Ten’s hips, not allowing them to stray any further.

“Do you come here often?” He asked, dropping his head down close to Ten in order to properly hear the response. The response was inaudible though, just a mere nod of his head. “A favorite spot of yours?” Another nod of the head, a sweet but slightly hesitant smile. Sicheng squeezed Ten’s hips, both reassuring and teasing for being so suddenly coy. “I’m flattered you like me enough to bring me here then.”   
  


With that, Ten’s expression dropped into a gentle, almost loving gaze that made an unfamiliar feeling pass over Sicheng’s skin. “Sicheng…” Ten seemed almost exasperated, tugging at the hem of the younger’s shirt. “Of course I like you enough to bring you here. I like you  _ a lot _ . I haven’t felt this way in a very long time.”

Rather than trying to express how that made him feel in words, he brought their lips together, sliding in a wild but practiced dance. Swirling their tongues together, licking and biting at one another’s lips, it became tragically clear that they couldn’t continue this in a corner of a street market. Sicheng brought his mouth to Ten’s jaw, pressing a sloppy open mouthed kiss there before whispering, “Let’s go to my hotel.”

On the walk over, Sicheng had shot Krystal a text, warning her in advance to keep Sicheng’s room empty. Due to his extremely loyal and albeit sexually driven friends, Sicheng was easily able to drag Ten into his room then throw him on the bed. Ten let out a breathless giggle, dragging Sicheng on top of him, arms winding around the Chinese boy’s neck. 

“I don’t understand how you make me feel so alive,” Ten admitted as Sicheng began to kiss along his neck, open mouthed, and eventually sucking and biting. 

“It’s my speciality,” Sicheng whispered into his ear then nipped at his ear lobe, teeth catching one of his piercings for a second. Ten shivered beneath the taller, nails dragging along Sicheng’s back before gripping the hem of Sicheng’s shirt and tearing it over his head. 

For a moment, Sicheng took pause. He had slept with plenty of people in his time, done it with not much little care or regard towards the situation or person. But with Ten, it felt different, it almost felt special. There had only been one other person that had managed to get under Sicheng’s skin like this right before sex, and it was someone Sicheng had decided was better left forgotten. Before Sicheng could dwell any longer, Ten was pulling him back in, kissing away any doubts that Sicheng might have had.

Sicheng didn’t want to rush anything, but he could clearly tell that Ten was impatient, rutting up against Sicheng, sucking at Sicheng’s collarbone.

Sicheng’s hand found purchase at Ten’s throat, fingers curling gently around the delicate skin. Ten gasped but peered up at Sicheng, stilling beneath him. Sicheng chuckled, wondering how someone so angelic could make Sicheng want to do things so fucking sinful.

“Slow down, baby,” he cooed, gliding his thumb along the curve of Ten’s jaw and chin. “We have all the time in the world.”

From that point on, Ten managed to take things a little slower, being awfully patient at how long it took Sicheng to even remove their pants. Sicheng wanted to take his time though, he wanted to kiss and mark Ten all over, as much as he could. Finally though, Sicheng sunk down, giving Ten attention where he needed it the most. For awhile, he only palmed Ten through his underwear while sucking Ten’s nipples into his mouth then dipping his tongue inside Ten’s navel.

He brought his mouth down lower, having removed Ten’s underwear finally, freeing Ten’s cock. Sicheng couldn’t help but coo now that he was seeing just how worked up Ten had become, the head of his cock a dark pink, precum slipping down further. He didn’t bother jerking him off before he brought his head down, tip of his tongue swirling around the head before, taking Ten’s entire length into the heat of his mouth.

From that point on, it was easy to draw music from Ten’s mouth. In Sicheng’s room that night, he had his own private symphony, and it all came directly from Ten. To Sicheng, Ten was art, and he was lucky he would only remain in his own private gallery. He was so lucky to have this moment, to have Ten in his hands pliant and beautiful. 

*

After the music died down, and Ten had slipped into a deep sleep where his nose twitched while he dreamed, Sicheng slid on his boxers and stepped into the hall. He intended to stop by one of the vending machines that were hidden away in one of the alcoves, he wanted some water before he settled in to sleep. He had trudged halfway there when a hand caught his elbow, drawing his attention to the owner of the hand.

Krystal’s hair was mussed from laying in bed, but truly that was the only thing about her that was out of place. As per usual, Krystal looked near perfection, even with her lips pursed and her eyes avoiding Sicheng’s. Sicheng narrowed his eyes, fully aware that whatever it was that was making her shifty could not have been good.

“Krys?” He attempted, his voice slightly raspy.

“Sorry,” she uttered in a hushed tone, but whether because there were people sleeping or because there was something wrong, Sicheng wasn’t exactly sure. “I didn’t mean to scare you. And you might be pissed after this, so sorry for that in advance too.” He quirked an eyebrow and she took a deep breath, “There’s a party. I know that we’re on vacation but I just think… that maybe we should attend.”

He could understand why she was so anxious to mention working on their vacation, but truly, Sicheng had never really said no to any offer she had presented. He wasn’t about to start now.

“Okay,” he said and she relaxed just slightly, her grip on his elbow loosening. He caught her wrist though, making sure she looked in his eyes as he said, “But Ten gets to come with.”

*

Sicheng had known pretty much right off the bat, that Ten was going to be a little lost, maybe even uncomfortable, arriving at the party. It was high end, the kind of party that was truly only being thrown to flaunt how rich someone is. Knowing that Ten might feel a little out of place, similar to how Sicheng had when he had first stepped onto the scene some years ago, he held Ten’s hand firmly, leading him through the arching doors of the sprawling estate.

Ten had cleaned up really nicely with his dark hair pushed back from his forehead and slim fitting suit, the top buttons undone leaving his tie to hang a little looser than it really should. Sicheng probably should’ve adjusted the tie and buttons just a bit before they entered, but he didn’t really find a need to. Ten, to him, was already the most attractive person in the room and no matter the state of his dress attire, that wouldn’t change.

“Woah,” Ten breathed out quietly, eyes darting across the expanse of the mansion, full of finely dressed men and women. “This is… insane. How did you say you know these people…?”

“Family friends,” Sicheng lied somewhat dismissively. He wasn’t exactly sure if Lisa and Bambam truly counted as “friends” rather than allies who hated their rich counterparts just as much Sicheng and the Roses. Nonetheless, they met on peaceful ground and that was close enough to friendship for Sicheng. 

“You have some really rich family friends.” Ten chuckled, though it came out a little high pitched, a little too forced. Sicheng squeezed his hand in the most reassuring manner that he could muster; the last thing he truly wanted was for any of the rich vultures to attempt eating Ten alive during the party.

“Si.” Doyoung practically materialized by Sicheng’s side, his suit looking as perfect as always. “Lisa failed to inform Krystal of two particular guests on the list for this soiree.” Sicheng turned to give his full attention to Doyoung but held tight to Ten’s hand. Doyoung lowered his voice before quietly hissing out, “It seems that Miss Avila and Miss Zhao will be making an appearance.”

Sicheng jerked his head back in surprise. The names were familiar, of course, due to the fact that they were just two of Sicheng’s countless victims. They weren’t that bitter and resentful like some of the others, mostly just resigned, slightly annoyed. They knew better than anyone else could about what would happen to them and their families if they even tried to report Sicheng and his friends to authorities. 

“Well,” Sicheng sighed with a small shrug. “Whatever happens will happen, but I don’t necessarily predict them being that big of a problem for us.” 

Doyoung didn’t look so convinced by Sicheng’s words, but nodded and parted ways to meet with his sister, who stood by the side of a rich man. From the look on her face, the conversation was not going well, and if Doyoung didn’t intervene then certainly Jennie’s drink would have been all over the heir already. Sicheng drew his eyes away from the twins when he felt the hand within in his own squeeze just a little tighter in their grip.

“You alright, Ten?” Sicheng inquired quietly, peering down at Ten. Ten jolted and met Sicheng’s eyes, his own rounded and wide, apparently startled by the act of Sicheng speaking to him. He gave a small, minute nod in confirmation that he indeed was okay. Sicheng smiled softly, endeared by the way that Ten was enamoured by everything before. It was naivety at it’s best. “Come on, let me get you a drink. Bambam might be hovering around here somewhere.”

“Bambam?” Ten was clearly incredulous, evident by the tone of his voice and the look on his face that accompanied it. 

Sicheng nodded, letting out a contemplative hum, steering Ten towards a table rather than a waiter. “Yes, he’s one of the hosts. One of the family friends.”

Ten opened his mouth, as if he had something to say about the matter, but instantly traded the words for the champagne that Sicheng had handed him. Ten curled one arm around Sicheng’s waist, using his free hand to gulp down champagne. Sicheng let out a small coo, dropping a kiss on the top of Ten’s head.

“Hey, baby, try not to drink too much yeah? I know that’s the good shit and that you’re a little nervous, but it’ll fuck you up really easily,” he muttered into Ten’s ear, running a soothing hand down the smaller’s back. 

Ten peered at Sicheng, disbelieving. He let out an indignant but quiet squawk, “Sicheng! Look where we are! You shouldn’t swear like that!” 

Sicheng was completely prepared to tease his lover by letting out a string of curses into his ear, but was interrupted by an icy, all too familiar voice. “Trust me, that’s nothing when it comes to Sicheng.”

Sicheng’s lips turned down into a grim frown as he faced Kai Zhao and Kaleia Avila. The two weren’t well acquainted by any means, they just happened to run in the same social circles as well as the once in a lifetime experience of being scammed by Sicheng in common. As usual, they looked like perfection, their outfits dripping with money and arrogance that their family names and bank vaults backed up. Sicheng, with great pleasure, noticed the lack of the diamond rose at Kai’s throat. The necklace was long gone, tucked away safely wherever Krystal had stashed it.

“I’m sorry,” Ten said softly, slipping back into his shell with such ease Sicheng’s heart ached, hating to see him close up so quickly. “Do you…  _ know  _ Sicheng?”

“Do we...? Well, that’s a damn good question. Just a little too complicated and personal to explain at such an event,” Kaleia offered, watching as Kai reached out and took Sicheng’s glass of champagne from him. She downed it in one smooth motion, a taunting grin toying at her lips the moment the glass lowered. “Now, how do  _ you  _ know him, cutie?”

Ten peered up at Sicheng, as if waiting for him to answer. Sicheng pressed a firm hand to the small of Ten’s back, a silent reassurance but also an instruction to answer the heiresses. 

“I suppose… you could call me Sicheng’s lover at the moment,” Ten replied, doubt seeping through his tone and posture. Doubt that Kai and Kaleia would certainly eat up, use to their advantage. Sicheng’s jaw tensed at the thought; the heiresses could try whatever they wanted on  _ him _ , but not with Ten. Ten had done absolutely nothing wrong to them, and there was no fair reason for them to take out any lingering anger on the waiter.

“Ten,” Sicheng said, eyes level with Kai and Kaleia. “Krystal should be right across the way from us, talking with Lisa Manoban. Will you go over there and join them for a moment? I just have something I need to speak with Miss Avila and Miss Zhao about.”

Ten seemed uncertain, even a little scared at the prospect of leaving Sicheng alone with the two icy heiresses, but Sicheng pressed a kiss to Ten’s cheek and gently urged him in Krystal’s direction. Sicheng watched him make the trek over to the two women, watched his mouth move as he explained something to Krystal, then watched as the group of three turned to observe the situation he was currently stuck in.

“He’s really cute, Sicheng,” Kai slipped into Chinese easily, brushing her short hair behind her ear. The last time Sicheng had seen her (red lips twisted into a grim line, angry tears rimming her eyes), her dark hair had been long. He couldn’t help but muse, wonder if she had chopped it all off because of him.

“Your hair looks nice,” he said, avoiding the topic of Ten. Sicheng would talk about anything at all, even his past, if it meant they wouldn’t ask him about Ten. Any information he gave up about Ten would be information the two could use for their own gain, could even allow them to get the upper hand on Sicheng. Sicheng could not and would not allow that, not only for Ten, but for the rest of his team. 

Kai’s smile was mocking and Sicheng couldn’t help but eye the serpent bracelet around her wrist, finding it rather ironic. “Thanks, baby,” she cooed, tilting her head. “I suppose you look pretty good too. Don’t you think, Kaleia?”

Kaleia was as delicate looking and doll like always, dark hair in spirals upon her head and her pale pink dress offsetting her skin tone. The look in her eyes though, was something the public would never witness, something only those closest to her would ever see. A look of simmering anger, betrayal, and something even mocking as well.

“He looks well enough for a poor boy pretending to be rich,” Kaleia sniffed, eyeing Sicheng with a hint of distaste that he had become numb to. “So, tell us, Sicheng. What possessed you to show up at this party tonight, being fully aware of the fact that one of your  _ conquests  _ could be lingering at any corner?”

Sicheng smiled, bright and beautiful and unbothered. “I was invited.”

The two women exchanged looks, simply confused by the sudden turn of events, probably assuming that Sicheng had scammed his way into yet another event in order to search for his next target. Clearly, he had won this round, if once again he had gotten leverage over the two.

“Excuse me,” he said just as polite as always in the presence of elite. He brushed passed them, finding that conversation with them was simply just boring now that he had no real incentive to speak with them. When he reached Ten and Krystal, gently taking hold of Ten’s arm, Krystal hissed out a quiet, “Be careful.”

Sicheng merely nodded before guiding Ten to the dance floor, pulling the Thai boy tightly against himself. There was no way he was going to allow the two bitter heiresses ruin his or Ten’s night. A quick glance down at Ten’s face, a peek at the concern swimming in the small boy’s eyes, had Sicheng pressing a small kiss to his lips to soothe the worries away. Ten relaxed in Sicheng’s arms, light and laughter returning to his dark eyes, and to Sicheng that was all he really needed.

He hoped that with Ten by his side, it would be a good night. 

As every fairy tale though, when the clock struck 12, Sicheng was near certain his life was about to fall apart. Standing on a patio, surrounded by familiar faces was much less comforting than it should have felt. Instead, it was more like he was cornered, caught between his family and his lies, and there was nothing to be done about it.

The night had been going well enough. He had spent most of the time dancing and drinking with Ten, fully intent on just making the older glow the entire night. He had even managed to introduce him to the very busy hosts, them having found Ten just adorable as Sicheng did. The night had been a mirage of Ten’s fully bloomed smile, lighting up not only Sicheng but the entire room. It was only partially through the night when Sicheng had decided for them to step out on the patio to take a small break. He had held Ten in his lap for a few moments, the two kissing lazily and slowly, right before Sicheng had needed the bathroom and promised to return very shortly. 

What he had been greeted with though was far from what he had been expecting.

Ten stood in the center of several people, all of which were talking to him in varying degrees of urgency and panic. Ten, himself, was perhaps the most panicked, with pink cheeks and fat tears rolling down his cheeks, hands coming up to cover his ears from the onslaught of voices all of which were beginning to rise in volume.

“What the  _ hell  _ is happening here!” Sicheng practically boomed, pushing his way through everyone to stand in front of Ten as a makeshift shield. His eyes met Krystal’s, always trusting her the most to be honest and direct with him. The apologetic look in her eyes made Sicheng take pause, his back tensing. “What… what’s going on…?”

Lisa was the one to speak up, her gaze promising death and pain. “Kai and Kaleia made an executive decision to reveal some things about you to Ten. Things they had no right speaking about.”

Sicheng’s heart dropped to the depths of his stomach. “They…”

“They told him, Winnie. I’m so sorry,” Krystal whispered into the night air, arms wound around herself. “We were just trying to explain to him it’s not what he thinks.”

Sicheng immediately turned to face Ten, blocking out everyone else. He cupped Ten’s face, trying to make eye contact with him, but the smaller boy looked everywhere but Sicheng’s face. His body beneath Sicheng’s hands was trembling, clearly overwhelmed and upset. Sicheng swallowed hard, softly called Ten’s name, but the Thai boy continued to ignore him. 

“Ten, please,” he practically pleaded, not even caring that there were several people witnessing him in a vulnerable state. “It’s not what you think, I promise. Please. Please, trust me.” 

Sicheng felt his world cave, crumble, shatter beneath him as Ten pulled away from Sicheng sharply and before anyone could stop him, ran. Sicheng remained frozen to his spot, unable to move, despite his subconscious screaming at him to follow Ten. He knew that even if he did chase after Ten, nothing good would come from it. Ten would still know the truth and Sicheng would still have to admit that nothing could or would ever come from their relationship.

He knew this, so why? Why did it still hurt so much?

Arms came around him, cheek pressed to his back. “We have to go,” Krystal whispered, “I’m sorry, Winnie. But we have to leave. We’re going to have to fly out of here by tomorrow.”

Distantly, Sicheng listened to the others make plans and fuss over him.

He didn’t listen. He didn’t want to. He closed his eyes, fell into Krystal’s grip and pictured a pearly white smile blooming across a delicate face.

*

“Ten. Are you sure you don’t want to go home for the night? You look…”

“Dead,” Yangyang droned from where he was draped across the seat of a booth. Kun sent him a scolding look, but brought his attention back to Ten quickly, his face folding into something akin to worry.

“Tennie,” Kun tried again, reaching out to grab Ten’s hand and stop his vigorous scrubbing. Ten became tense beneath his grip, eyes remaining on the same spot he had already scrubbed thoroughly. “Don’t you want to talk about it?”

For a moment, Sicheng and his smile and laughter and voice ran through Ten’s mind. For a moment, Ten thought about the way Sicheng’s arms felt around him, holding securely. He refused to remember the part of it where Sicheng made him feel alive, the part of it where he thought he was falling for the Chinese boy.

With all of this in mind, Ten met Kun’s eyes and said, “No.” He dropped the rag in his hand and added, “I’m taking a break.”   
  


Yangyang and Kun’s eyes trailed Ten as he disappeared out the front door, but he ignored it. He was about to slump down onto the bench, the same bench Sicheng had waited on before he picked Ten up for their first date, when he noticed. A single red rose positioned in the center of the bench, begging to be noticed.

Ten picked it up, inspecting the healthy petals. Once again, he pictured his body pressed against Sicheng in the back of the mustang; Sicheng’s hands on his cheeks as he begged with Ten to listen, to  _ understand _ . And then he remembered Kai Zhao, her voice impossibly soft as she explained that it all started with a rose.

Ten stared at the rose, a thorn digging a hole into the palm of his hand. It was hardly anything compared to the gaping hole that had been formed in his heart.

For one last time, he thought of the panic on Sicheng’s face and the way he said Ten’s name.

Ten threw the rose in the trash and returned to inside the diner. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to everyone who has read this! this took quite a few weeks of work, hesitance, and irritation towards myself. thank you to kai and leia and hayden who listened to me talk about this oof. 
> 
> as you can tell, there's quite a bit of past with this and some unresolved matters as well! if any of you guys are interested in spin offs and prequels, please let me know as i do have some ideas involving sicheng's past, dojae, wooil, and more!
> 
> if you'd like to hang out and interact more than just leaving a comment here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/slutforjseo) and my [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/nanasbun)


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